He expressed this sentiment at the 44th Independence dinner on the evening of September 16th outside the House of Parliament.

The 44th Independence dinner, or the Prime Minister’s dinner, was a first of its kind that saw executives of corporate bodies, heads of missions and commissions as well as Members of Parliament in attendance.

Prime Minister James Marape said the main objective of the event was to acknowledge and commend the private sector, as well as establish a rapport.

Marape raised this at the recent Pacific Island Forum (PIF) in Tuvalu where he presented Papua New Guinea’s view of the PIF Leaders’ meeting to marshal up the entire Pacific Islanders to remain as one family and solid, instead of fragmenting.

Marape has raised concerns that climate change is a crisis in the Pacific region.

He said he would be vocal about the issue when he attends the United Nations General Assembly Meeting in September.

Marape urged the PIF leaders to unite as one bloc so their voices can be heard globally.

Marape said this when he officially opened a one week workshop on OIE Performance Veterinary Gap Analysis Mission, hosted by the PNG National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority in Port Moresby on Monday.

PNG’s potential lies in selling livestock and organic food to the Asian Market as well as the world.

Marape said his aim is for PNG to be known as an organic food hub for the Pacific and the rest of the world.

He urged Papua New Guineans to put on their thinking cap and change the way they have been doing business in the last 44 years.

He expressed this sentiment during the 10-year celebration of partnership between three landowner companies and the PNG LNG project.

ExxonMobil PNG on August 8th hosted board and senior managers of the three landowner companies (lancos) of Hides Gas Development Company, Laba Holdings Ltd and Trans Wonderland Ltd at the PNG LNG plant site to celebrate a decade of partnership with the LNG project. Also at the celebration was fellow landowner and Prime Minister James Marape.

This was the message Prime Minister James Marape conveyed to Australia during his visit.

The Prime Minister returned from his trip this afternoon at the Jackson’s International VIP Terminal.

Speaking to media, he said a wide range of topics were covered with our neighbours, including the imbalance in trade, improving PNG’s local economy, the Manus issue as well as experiencing firsthand how local industries in Western Australia operate.

On Friday the PM addressed over 300 investors in Sydney, who he said were interested in PNG.

“My reference towards investors meeting us at where our law is, refers to projects coming up for review. In my view, and I stand to be corrected, our laws are tailored to attract investors, and (PNG) is not green field in areas of mining and oil and gas. We produce world class mining projects,” said Marape.

The Prime Minister’s response followed a series of questions raised by Member for Rabaul Dr Allan Marat, with regards to the number of PNG owned companies who specialise in the determining process of minable non-renewable resources.